04-06-2025
Man flips stolen car in high-speed chase on Hwy. 101. ‘Karma has a lead foot too'
A 33-year-old Santa Barbara man out on parole for vehicle theft was arrested Tuesday after police said he led them on a high-speed chase through South County — in a stolen car.
According to a Grover Beach Police Department post on Facebook, a 'sharp-eyed' community service office spotted a stolen vehicle cruising through the city just before 10 a.m.
Patrol officers then found the car at a gas station on Five Cities Drive in Pismo Beach.
'As officers approached, the driver — clearly not a fan of awkward conversations — he decided to hit the gas instead of filling up with it,' the post said.
A chase ensued on southbound Highway 101, reaching speeds of over 100 mph, according to the post.
Police called off the chase near Los Berros Road due to safety concerns.
'But from a safe distance, they watched the vehicle exit the highway, lose control, and roll over — because karma has a lead foot too,' the post said.
The driver was then identified as Steven Oscar Gonzalez, 33, of Santa Barbara. He suffered only minor injuries and was taken into custody without further incident, the post said.
According to the Police Department, the car had been reported stolen out of Paso Robles.
Gonzalez, who was on post-release community supervision for vehicle theft at the time, was expected to be charged with a new count of vehicle theft and evading, the post said.
As of Tuesday evening, Gonzalez was being held at the San Luis Obispo County Jail with bail set at $50,000, according to the Sheriff's Office's Who's in Custody website.
